Where The Heart Is
by pikagurl23
Summary: How can one girl make a difference in showing the light to one of Team Rocket's best and most feared members? AAMRN of course!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Don't own pokemon!  
  
A/N: And I'm back with another fic! I'm just taking a little break from writing 'School Days', but don't worry. I'm not gonna abandon it! Anyway, this is a little different then some of my other stories, but oh well. That's just how it goes. One more thing, Misty and Ash don't know each other and Ash and Brock don't know each other, but Misty and Brock do. Did that make sense? Hope so! Enjoy!  
  
Ages are as follows:  
  
Ash: 24  
Misty: 23  
Brock: 25  
Giovanni: 40's  
  
Where The Heart Is  
Prologue  
  
"Geodude, quick! Use rock throw!" Commanded the Pewter City gym leader.  
  
"Geo!" It nodded, starting its attack.  
  
"Squirtle, use your hydro pump!" A young man, with the Team Rocket emblem stitched on his uniform, ordered.  
  
"Squirtle!" It said, letting loose powerful sprays of water from every hole in its shell.  
  
Geodude fell to the ground, weakened by the continuos water attack.  
  
"No, Geodude!" Screamed the rock trainer, running up to his pokemon. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Geo..." It answered weakly, nodding its head.  
  
"Strip him of his pokemon." Ordered the young Team Rocket member.  
  
"Yes, sir." Saluted another member.  
  
It was obvious, by the respect given to the young man, that he was the elite member of this particular squad. His uniform was a different color than the ones his comrades were wearing. It was black with a small 'R' embroidered in gold at the corner of his shirt. He also wore a black cape that draped over his shoulders, making him look all the more sinister. A Pikachu was also perched on his shoulder.  
  
"No, I won't let you take them!" Screamed the gym leader.  
  
"Restrain him." Ordered the young man.  
  
Another member came up behind the gym leader and tied his hands behind his back, while another took his pokeballs off of his belt.  
  
"I won't let you get away with this!" He yelled, his anger rising.  
  
"Calm down now Brock. There's no use resisting us." Smiled the elite confidently. "Take him away."  
  
"Yes, sir!" Nodded the member who was restraining Brock. He took him outside where a black van was waiting.  
  
"I don't see why we couldn't have just taken the airship." Sighed another member, walking up next to the elite.  
  
"Sorry, Matt. Its easier this way. We don't want to take any chances of being seen." Smiled the elite.  
  
"We wouldn't have been seen. Its pitch black out there." Exclaimed Matt.  
  
"Yeah, I know, but you remember what Giovanni said. No slip ups." The elite sighed, walking outside.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. I know." Sighed Matt, following the elite.  
  
"Sorry bro." The elite apologized.  
  
Matt just shrugged it off and hopped into the van.  
  
The elite member looked up at the star filled sky, wondering if this plan would really work. His boss, Giovanni, had seemed so confident when he first presented it to them. But then again, he always had confidence, especially in the elite's skills.  
  
"Well, we've captured all but one gym leader." Announced a rocket holding a clipboard. "Where to next?"  
  
"Cerulean City..."  
A/N: This prologue took longer than expected. I seriously spent 20 minutes just staring at the screen ^ ^ ;;. Anyways, you guys know the drill. Please review! AAML forever! 


	2. Captured

Disclaimer: Don't own pokemon!  
  
A/N: Well, here's Chapter 1 (finally). Anyway, enjoy!  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Captured  
"Nice work, Staryu!" Exclaimed the Cerulean City gym leader.  
  
"Hiya!" The pokemon nodded, finishing its attack.  
  
"Bulbasaur, return!" Ordered the opponent, angry about his loss. "We'll be back!"  
  
The angry trainer stormed out of the gym, muttering something under his breath.  
  
"Another beautiful win Staryu." Smiled Misty.  
  
"Hiya!" It replied, spinning in the air.  
  
Just then, clapping could be heard from behind Misty. She whipped her head around to see a mysterious looking young man with a black cape draped over his broad shoulders. A Pikachu accompanied him.  
  
"Impressive." Exclaimed the man.  
  
"Who are you?" Misty asked cautiously.  
  
"That's for me to know…" He started, snapping his fingers. About a dozen Team Rocket members surrounded Misty. "And for you to find out."  
  
"Team Rocket…" Misty breathed, glaring at them.  
  
"You're almost as smart as you are talented." Smirked the elite. "Get her!"  
  
On command, the Team Rocket members immediately started to close in on Misty.  
  
"Staryu!" Yelled Misty.  
  
"Hiya!" Exclaimed the pokemon, spinning out of the water. Upon seeing its trainer in trouble, it instinctively squirted a water gun across the gym floor, causing the advancing Rocket members to slip and fall into the pool.  
  
"Rapid spin!" Commanded Misty.  
  
Nodding, the star-shaped pokemon dove into the pool and began its attack. A whirlpool started to form, and soon the Rocket members were pulled into the attack and thrown out of the pool.  
  
"Nice job, Staryu. Now, let's get out of here." Exclaimed Misty, running towards the exit.  
  
"And where do you think your going?" Asked the elite, blocking Misty's only way out.  
  
"Staryu, water gun attack!" Ordered Misty, pointing at the elite.  
  
The pokemon nodded and started its attack, but the elite dodged it with ease.  
  
"Pikachu, thunder." Said the elite calmly.  
  
Hearing its master's orders, the small electric pokemon jumped off of his shoulder to perform a massive thunder attack.  
  
"Pika!" Announced the Pikachu, sparks forming on the pokemon's cheeks. "Pikachu!"  
  
Thunder filled the arena and found its target. Staryu let out a pained cry and fell to the floor, unconscious. Misty ran to it and knelt by its side.  
  
"Staryu, are you okay?" Misty asked frantically.  
  
It nodded weakly as Misty returned it into its pokeball. She stood up and glared at the elite.  
  
"Now, you'll come with us if you don't want the same thing to happen to the rest of your pokemon." Warned the elite.  
  
Misty had no choice, she knew she was defeated. Sighing, she dropped her hands to her side and let the recovered Team Rocket members bind her hands together.  
  
"Good job, Pikachu." The elite praised, scratching his pokemon behind the ear.  
  
"Pika…" Purred the smiling pokemon. The elite mirrored the smile and laughed at his companion's content look. He then looked in Misty's direction.  
  
"Finally…" He smiled. "The last gym leader is ours. Giovanni will be very pleased with our work. Although, I must say, she was one of the hardest to capture."  
  
The elite approached the young girl and lifted her face to look at him. Misty also took this opportunity to examine the elite. She noticed that he was still young, about her age, maybe a little older.  
  
"You're very beautiful…" Whispered the elite, showing no emotion.  
  
Misty looked at him cautiously, wondering where this was going.  
  
"Who are you?" Misty asked again.  
  
"I'm the elite member of Team Rocket, number one next to our boss, Giovanni." Replied the elite automatically, almost as if he were reading a script.  
  
"What's your name?" She inquired.  
  
"Hey! Listen you! Don't bother him with such stupid questions!" Scolded Matt. "Come on, let's get her into the van."  
  
Several Rockets grabbed her and forced her to follow them.  
  
"Ash…"  
  
Misty turned around at the sound of the young man's voice.  
  
"My name is Ash." He repeated.  
  
Misty just stood there, staring at him until a Rocket pushed her forward and forced her to move.  
  
"Pika pi?" Asked Pikachu.  
  
"I'm fine. Let's get back to headquarters." Announced Ash, following the rest of the members out of the gym.   
  
A/N: Okay, there's Chapter 1. I know it's kind of short, but it'll get better! I promise! Anyway, hope you liked it! AAML forever! 


	3. No Way Out

Disclaimer: Don't own pokemon!  
  
A/N: Chapter numero dos! Enjoy all!  
  
Chapter 2  
  
No Way Out  
  
"Where do you think they're taking us?" Asked Misty, who was sitting, tied up, next to Brock.  
  
"Probably their headquarters." He replied. "Hey, I'm surprised they got you. You were probably one of their hardest to capture." Announced Brock, trying to lighten the eerie mood that was formulating.  
  
"Yeah, well, that's what they said." She said, smiling weakly.  
  
"That elite got you, huh?" Asked Brock, remembering his battle with the fierce elite.  
  
"Yeah, he did." She sighed. "I'll tell you one thing, he's really skilled."  
  
Brock just nodded in agreement as he looked out of the window at the night sky.  
  
"What do you think they're planning to do with us?" Asked Lt. Surge, the gym leader from Vermilion City.  
  
"I wish I knew. All I know is that they've captured us and we all have one thing in common." Said Brock.  
  
"Our gyms…" Misty breathed, realizing what Brock was getting at.  
  
"Exactly. It must have something to do with it. I just wish I knew what." He sighed.  
  
"Guess we'll find out sooner or later." Misty stated, looking out of the window and seeing the 'Welcome to Viridian City' sign.  
  
Everyone knew who the gym leader was in that gym. Misty shut her eyes in pain and anger thinking about his name. And, from what the elite had told her, it was now obvious that he was the leader of the infamous Team Rocket.  
  
"Great, Viridian City." Scowled Surge sarcastically.  
  
The van soon came to a halt as the driver waited to be admitted through the entrance. He was given permission and drove through the black, iron gates that surrounded the gym. The van stopped in back of the gym and the door was soon opened. Several Rocket members forced Misty, Brock, and Surge out of the van and awaited their orders.  
  
The elite stood before them, Pikachu at his side, and examined the trio.  
  
"Good. Bring them in." He said after several moments of silence.  
  
The members took hold of their bonds and pushed them inside of the massive building. They lead them into the battling arena where Giovanni waited. After fulfilling their duties, they took a knee and bowed to their leader.  
  
Misty looked on in disgust. How could someone so vicious be treated with this much respect?  
  
The elite took his place at the front of the line and approached Giovanni.  
  
"Sir, we have captured all of the gym leaders. These were the three remaining ones. They were restrained last night." Said the elite.  
  
"Well done. Were you seen?" He asked cautiously.  
  
"No, Sir." Answered the elite.  
  
"Wonderful work Ash, as usual. Now, take them to their cells and, soon, our plans will be underway." Announced Giovanni, leaving the arena.  
  
"Yes, Sir. Well, you heard him. Take them away." Ordered Ash.  
  
"Yes, Sir!" All the members saluted simultaneously.  
  
They walked off, taking the gym leaders with them. Ash was left alone in the arena, left only with his thoughts of their up and coming plan.  
  
"It's starting to take shape. After countless months of planning, we're finally doing it, Pikachu." Smiled Ash, petting his pokemon.  
  
"Pikachu." Answered the pokemon, nodding its little head.  
  
"Imagine all the money we're going to make." He smiled. "It's more than we could ever dream of."  
  
"Pika!" It squealed, smiling.  
  
"Well buddy, let's go tend to the prisoners." Ash announced.  
  
"Pi!" It replied as they both walked down the long corridor leading into the jail cells. He went down a flight of stairs and came to another hallway. Just then, Ash saw Matt walking out of one of the rooms, panting.  
  
"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Ash smiled.  
  
"It's that gym leader from Saffron, that's what." He sighed, taking off his head gear.  
  
"She can't be causing you that much trouble." He said peeking into the room.  
  
"Yeah? You try going in there when she's pissed off." Matt sighed in exasperation.  
  
"It'll only be a couple more days." Ash stated. "Just hold on until then."  
  
"I know, I know." Said Matt. "It's a good thing we got the rest of the leaders last night."  
  
"Yeah, we've been waiting long enough to start our operations." Nodded Ash.  
  
"Which one of them goes first?" Asked Matt.  
  
"Well, if it was me choosing, I'd pick Sabrina. She's the only real threat, with her psychic powers and everything." Ash said, walking away. "Well, I got to go. I have to go check on the others."   
  
"Okay, see you later." Sighed Matt, walking back into the room reluctantly.  
  
Ash lightly laughed to himself, thinking about everything that his best friend had to endure in that room.  
  
"Here we are." Ash said, opening one of the door's in the hallway.  
  
He stepped inside just in time to see Misty and Brock being thrown in their separate cells.  
  
"Sir!" The rocket saluted.  
  
"Very good." Ash smiled.  
  
The rocket grabbed a nearby notepad and looked to Ash.  
  
"Pewter City gym leader: Brock Slate." Said Ash, pointing to Brock while the rocket jotted down everything he was saying. "And the Cerulean City gym leader: Misty Waterflower."  
  
The rocket nodded and then handed the pad to Ash. He looked it over and then gave his approval.  
  
"Where is Surge?" Asked Ash, noticing an empty cell.  
  
"He's in a tougher holding cell. He was too strong for these cells, so Matt took him downstairs." Answered the rocket.  
"Poor guy. He's stuck with all the dirty work today. I'll have to talk to Giovanni today about a raise in his salary." Smiled Ash.  
  
"When do these two go?" Asked the rocket, changing the subject.  
  
"They'll be last. I already told Matt that we'd take care of Sabrina first." Stated Ash.  
  
'Take care of her?' Thought Misty, fearing the worst.  
  
"Well, I'll be back in about an hour to take over your shift. You know what to do if things get out of hand." Reminded Ash.  
  
"Yes, Sir!" Smirked the rocket, fingering the dart gun on the table.  
  
"Okay. I'll be back shortly." Ash said, walking out of the room and heading for Giovanni's office.  
  
Upon reaching his office, Ash lightly knocked on the door. He heard a soft response and opened the door.  
  
"Ah, Ash. There you are. I was just about to have someone find you." Started Giovanni. "Is everything set?"  
  
Ash bowed. "Yes, Sir. Everything is prepared. The gym leaders are all currently in their cells."  
  
"Very good." Smiled Giovanni. "It will still take a bit of planning to make sure we don't get caught, but I truly believe we can pull it off."  
  
"I think so too, Sir." Smiled Ash.  
  
"Ash, have you recorded the cell arrangements?" He asked.  
  
"Yes, Sir. They're right here." Ash replied, handing his boss a notepad.  
  
He read down the list of names and stopped at the last one.  
  
"Well, well, well…Misty Waterflower, Cerulean City's great water pokemon gym leader." He said in a low tone.  
  
"Do you know her personally?" Ash asked.  
  
"Yes, I do. We go way back. I knew her parents well." He paused and then continued. "After all these years, she's been residing inside of the gym…"  
  
"I take the next shift in her room. Would you like me to take a message for her?" Ash asked.  
  
"No, I will deal with her later. She's not going anywhere and you will see to that." Stated Giovanni firmly.  
  
"Yes, Sir!" Bowed Ash as he headed for the door, but he suddenly stopped. "By the way, Sir, I've noticed the hard work that Matt has had to endure during these past couple of months, so-"  
  
"A raise? Consider it done. He has been working hard. And it's because of people like him that we can finally start our plans." Said Giovanni.  
  
"Thank you, Sir." Bowed Ash one last time before he exited the room.  
  
Once he was gone, Giovanni turned towards his window and stared out over the horizon. He then looked at the notepad and fingered Misty's name.  
  
"My dear…your pain and suffering has only just begun…"  
A/N: Yay! Another chapter up! Hope you guys liked it. 


	4. The Plan Revealed

Disclaimer: Don't own pokemon!  
  
A/N: Well, here's chapter 3! By the way, thanks to everyone who reviewed 'School Days.' I really appreciated it. I just hope this fic meets everyone's expectations.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
The Plan Revealed  
  
A cold night chill rushed throughout the corridors of the Team Rocket Headquarters as Ash and Pikachu walked to Misty and Brock's holding room. Slowly, he opened the door and found the rocket member taunting the young girl.  
  
"Hey! Leave her alone!" Yelled Brock through the bars of his cell.  
  
"Oh, shut up!" Hissed the rocket. "Come on over here, sweetie. I'll show you a good time." He smiled seductively as he looked in Misty's direction.  
  
Misty was curled up in the far corner of the cell, hugging her knees to her chest and looking down at the floor.   
  
"That's enough." Ordered Ash as the rocket abruptly turned around.  
  
He straightened himself out and stood, saluting, the elite.  
  
"Sir! I-I didn't know you had returned." Stammered the rocket.  
  
"Obviously." Stated the elite, who was looking in Misty's direction. Misty, on the other hand, was looking at the scene that was taking place from the corner of her eye.  
  
"Are you okay?" Whispered Brock.  
  
Misty nodded in response but kept her eyes on the elite and the rocket member.   
  
"You're dismissed." Sighed Ash disapprovingly.   
  
"Y-Yes, Sir." Bowed the rocket member as he exited the room.  
  
Ash shook his head in frustration as he took a seat next to the two cells.  
  
"Pikachu, pikapi?" Asked the electric pokemon.  
  
"I'm fine, Pikachu. Just stressed out." Explained Ash as he petted his friend.  
  
Ash looked over at the young girl in the jail cell and smiled.  
  
"So, you know our leader, Giovanni?" Asked Ash.  
  
Misty kept her gaze to the ground as the elite spoke to her. She didn't want to talk about anything to do with him. Every time she would hear his name, a combination of anger and pain surged throughout her body.  
  
"Not talking then?" Inquired Ash. "Fine. What about you? Do you have any connection with our boss?" He asked, directing his question towards Brock.  
  
Brock, in response, shook his head. "What are you going to do with us?"  
  
Ash smirked at him and stood up. "What is it that you all have in common? You, her, Surge, Sabrina, Koga, Blaine, Erika…"  
  
"Our gyms." Replied Brock.  
  
"Very good. Now, what makes a gym operate? Besides the fact that you need a gym leader." Asked Ash.  
  
Brock thought for a moment and went through the possible solutions in his head.  
  
"Money…"  
  
Ash and Brock looked to Misty, who had been quiet the whole time.  
  
"Exactly." Smiled Ash.  
  
"But why would you do all of this just for money?" Asked Brock.  
  
"Why not?" Shrugged the elite. "Once we take control of your gyms, we will be the most feared organization in the world."  
  
"How do we play a part in this?" Brock inquired.  
  
"You're gym leaders, aren't you? Well, in order for us to be successful with our plans, we need to get rid of all of you first. Then, since none of you will be returning to your gyms alive, we'll take them over." Explained Ash.  
  
"You'll never get away with this!" Yelled Brock.  
  
"Oh, yes we will." Countered Ash.   
  
"But don't you think someone's going to notice that all of the gym leaders are gone?" Questioned Brock.  
  
"Of course, but no one's going to suspect that we're responsible. No one knows where our base is. And besides, people on the streets already think that Team Magma and Team Aqua are responsible. We're in the clear." Stated Ash confidently.  
  
"You're sick." Brock spat out.  
  
"Maybe, but I'm not the one in the cage, am I?" Taunted Ash.  
  
Ash's gaze then reverted back to Misty.  
  
"What's wrong with this one?" Ash asked.  
  
"What do you think is wrong with her?!" Screamed Brock. "We're locked up in Team Rocket Headquarters and we're all going to die."  
  
"I suppose you have a point there." Smiled Ash.  
  
"Pikachu!" Nodded the pokemon.  
  
"Well, you two had better get a good night's sleep. I'll be here keeping watch, so don't even think about trying anything on me, got it?" Warned Ash.  
  
Brock nodded and sighed, wondering how they would ever get out of this situation.  
  
"Hey Ash, its Matt." Said the small device attached to Ash's collar.  
  
"Go ahead, Matt." Responded Ash.  
  
"I just got word that the boss wants to start eliminating them tomorrow…starting with Sabrina, of course." Informed Matt on the other end.  
  
"Okay, I'll be there first thing tomorrow to help you out with her execution." Smiled Ash.  
  
"Okay, thanks. Over and out." Announced Matt as the device turned off.  
  
"You're going to kill Sabrina…" Whispered Misty, not believing what was happening.  
  
"Well, to be truthful with you, I've never actually killed anyone. I just help my squad with restraining the prisoners." Explained Ash.  
  
"You've never actually killed anyone before?" Questioned Misty.  
  
Ash shook his head. "Nope, I'm not too partial to seeing blood spilling out of someone." He laughed.  
  
"Then who actually does it?" She asked.  
  
"It depends on who's on duty." He explained, giving her a questioning look. "I'm glad you finally decided to talk to me."  
  
Upon hearing this, Misty turned away and continued to stare at the ground. Ash, on the other hand, just smiled.  
  
"Don't worry. It'll all be over before you know it, I promise." Smiled Ash, who was looking at the girl.  
  
"I'm not afraid of dying." Whispered Misty in a coarse voice.  
  
"What was that?" He asked, staring intently at the young girl.  
  
"I'm not afraid of dying." She repeated.  
  
Ash looked at her as a million thoughts floated through his mind. 'Not afraid of dying?' He asked himself. 'Well, there's a first. She's brave, I'll give her that.'  
  
"You're very brave. You'd make an excellent Team Rocket member." Commented Ash.  
  
"Forget it." Misty started. "I guess courage runs in my family."  
  
"I see." Nodded Ash. "So, if I may inquire, where is your family now?"  
  
"Dead…" Replied Misty coldly.  
  
"Killed by whom?" Inquired Ash.  
  
"Look, can't you see she's been through enough? You've already won, there's no need to probe any further." Said Brock.  
  
"I apolo--"   
  
"Your leader…" Misty interrupted.  
  
"Excuse me?" Asked Ash, looking in her direction.  
  
"That sick bastard you call a leader killed my mother, my father, and my three sisters." She explained, flashing him a look that the young elite had never seen in anyone before. Her eyes told him of the pain that she had endured throughout her life.  
  
"I'm sorry about that." Apologized the elite. "But I'm sure our boss had good reason to-"  
  
"He had no right to kill my family!" Screamed Misty, tears in her eyes. "He left me with nothing…no family…nothing…"   
  
The elite continued to stare at the young girl as she wiped away her few tears. He sighed and then shook his head.  
  
"Look, Ms. Waterflower, I really am sorry about what happened to your family." Sighed the elite. "But what had to be done, had to be done."  
  
Misty looked at the elite, but said nothing. He looked back at her, trying to figure out what exactly she was thinking.  
  
'Its like she's trying to see through me.' He thought as he broke eye contact.  
  
Trying to change the subject, Ash flipped through the prisoner's papers and stopped at Misty's profile.  
  
"So, your 23?" Asked Ash.  
  
Misty just nodded in response.   
  
"You know, you're the youngest gym leader in Kanto." Announced Ash.  
  
"I know." She whispered.  
  
"Hey, don't get any sick ideas pal!" Warned Brock.  
  
"I wouldn't dream of it." Smiled Ash, directing his gaze back at Misty. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm the youngest Team Rocket member here. I'm only 24."  
  
"You're 24?" Questioned Brock.  
  
"Why? Were you expecting me to be older?" Laughed Ash.  
  
"Well, yeah. You are a part of Team Rocket…and an elite at that." Said Brock.  
  
"What can I say? I started young." He smiled. "Well, that's enough talk for tonight. I suggest you two get some sleep. Like I said before, there's still a lot to do before your big day."  
  
Brock shook his head in disgust and tried to get comfortable on the cold stone ground. Misty, however, stayed in her corner and continued to stare at the ground, her arms folded across her chest. Ash noticed this and looked at her.  
  
"Hmm…"   
  
'There's something about that girl that I quite can't put my finger on. It's like she's accepting what's going to happen and yet, she hasn't given in. I'll have to keep a close eye on her.' Thought Ash as he made himself comfortable in his chair.   
  
After telling Pikachu to keep watch for the first few hours, Ash drifted off in to a deep sleep. Misty, however, looked out of the tiny window in her cell. She saw the moon in all its splendor, showered by the stars that sparkled like diamonds. At that moment she was praying that somehow, someway, she would get out of this alive.  
  
A/N: Okay, there's chapter 3! Sorry it was kind of short but I hope it was all to your liking anyway. Now, go review! 


	5. One Down

Disclaimer: Don't own pokemon!  
  
A/N: Hey there guys! I'm back with another chapter. Hope you all like it!  
  
Chapter 4  
  
One Down  
  
Misty awoke to the sound of two male voices. She slowly opened her eyes and tried to get them to focus properly. As soon as she had regained her sight, she looked around the room searching for the source of the two voices.  
  
"We need you down on level one now." Said Matt. "Giovanni is waiting."  
  
"I know, but I need someone down here to keep an eye on these two." Sighed Ash.  
  
"Ah, they aren't going anywhere." Matt told him. "Come on. We need you now."  
  
Sighing, Ash nodded. "Okay, fine." Just as the elite was about to leave, he turned back around. "Go Noctowl!"  
  
He threw a pokeball up into the air and out came a multicolored Noctowl. It flew onto a perch near the ceiling and screeched at its trainer.  
  
"Noctowl, watch over the prisoners. Matt and I have to take care of something. I'll be back shortly." The elite informed as he turned to his Pikachu. "Let's go buddy."  
  
"Pika!" Announced the pokemon as it positioned itself on its trainer's shoulder.  
  
The two rocket members left to take care of their 'business.' Misty stood up and stretched out. She looked to her left and noticed that Brock was still sleeping. Sighing, she took a peek out of her window to try and guess the time. The sun was just rising up from behind the mountains.  
  
"It still must be early." Misty said to herself.  
  
All of a sudden, a gunshot rang throughout the building. An ear shattering scream was heard from down the hallway, causing both Misty and Brock to jump.  
  
"What the hell was that?!" Asked Brock, jumping to his feet.  
  
Misty clenched her fists in anger and shut her eyes in pain and anguish. "S-Sabrina…"  
  
Realizing what she meant, Brock began pounding on the bars of his cell. "No! Sabrina!"  
  
"Brock…its no use...she's gone." Whispered Misty.  
  
"No…" Cried Brock as his knees dropped to the floor.  
  
"Brock…we've got to get out of here." Misty whispered in a low voice, making sure the Noctowl didn't hear.  
  
He nodded his head as he wiped away his few remaining tears. "I know…but how?"  
  
"We'll find a way, I know we will. Then, we'll go to the police and finally bring this place down." Vowed Misty. "But we have to do it soon, or else more lives could be lost."  
  
Brock nodded in agreement as he stood up. "We have to think."  
  
"I wish I had my pokemon with me. I hope they're okay." Sighed Misty.  
  
"I'm sure they're fine. We'll get them back, don't worry. But until then, we're on our own." Stated Brock.  
  
"I know." Misty nodded.  
  
Just then, the elite re-entered the room. The Noctowl that had been keeping watch flew down to greet its trainer and landed on his extended arm.  
  
"Hey there Noctowl. Any trouble?" Ash asked.  
  
The pokemon shook its head in response.  
  
"Well, done. Now, I want you to go outside and fly around the building a few times. Keep watch for any suspicious looking characters. If you see anything, report back to me immediately." The elite ordered.  
  
The pokemon nodded and then flew out of the door as the elite took a seat on the nearby chair. He sighed as he petted his Pikachu.  
  
"Only six more, buddy. Then all of our hard work will finally pay off." Sighed the elite.  
  
"Pika…" Purred the electric mouse contently.  
  
It was then that Ash noticed that Misty and Brock were awake.  
  
"Oh, good morning." Greeted Ash.  
  
"Don't give me that bullshit! You killed her! You killed Sabrina! You murderer!" Screamed Brock hysterically.  
  
"Brock, calm down." Warned Misty.  
  
"I already told you that I was going to kill her. It should come as no surprise to you." Stated Ash.  
  
"But…why?" Cried Brock.  
  
"I explained it to you already, I won't do it again." He said, turning to Misty. "Keep your friend calm or else I'll have to."  
  
"He has a right to be upset! You just killed an innocent person. How could you just walk away, without a tinge of guilt inside of you?" She asked.  
  
"It was easy…" Whispered the elite. "Your friend needs to stop being so weak about it."  
  
"Weak?! He just lost a good friend! You have no idea of the pain that he's going through." Countered Misty.  
  
Ash stood up, enraged and stormed over to Misty's cell. "Don't talk to me about the pain that he's going through! I know the pain! I've been there, numerous times!"   
  
Misty also stood up to face the elite. "If you've gone through the same pain, then why would you want someone else to suffer the same thing?"  
  
"Revenge…my parents were innocent people too…they were killed by one of the gym leaders. This way, if no leaders survive, then I'll be sure that I've avenged my parents." He stated.  
  
"Your parents were killed too?" Asked Misty.  
  
Ash just nodded in response. "A long time ago. I was only 7 at the time. You don't know how it feels to see both your parents dead on your own kitchen floor, their blood staining everything."  
  
"Actually…I do." Started Misty. "Your boss did the same thing to my parents, as well as my sisters. I've had to bury 5 of my loved ones…how do you think I feel?"  
  
"Probably worse than I did at the time." Replied the elite.  
  
"And anyway, how do you know that a gym leader killed your parents?" She asked.  
  
"Well, you're a gym leader, you should know this symbol." He said, pulling out a metal medallion. It had the symbol of the pokemon league on it, engraved in gold. "As you know, this is the symbol of the gym leaders of Kanto. It was engraved in my parents' abdomens when I found them. The knife that was used to do the job was sticking out of my father's stomach."  
  
Misty gasped and put a hand to her mouth. "That's terrible."  
  
"I know. To this day, I've never found the murderer, but when I do, he'll be sorry he ever crossed paths with me." Stated Ash.  
  
"I'm sorry…" Whispered Misty.  
  
"Huh?"   
  
"That must have been a terrible experience to go through, especially at such a young age. But you're going to kill all of us, 7 innocent people, just to find one person?" She asked.  
  
"I don't know that you're all innocent. For all I know, you could all be working in it together…even you." He said, turning his back on her.  
  
"That must be awful…not being able to trust anyone…thinking that everyone is against you." She whispered.  
  
Ash stopped in his tracks as he heard her speak. Could it be true that someone actually understood half of what he was going through? He turned back around to face her and lightly smiled.  
  
"I get by." He stated simply. "Besides, everything went uphill for me when I met Giovanni. He accepted me into his family and trained me to be the powerful elite that I am today."   
  
"And you're proud of that position?" She asked. "You're proud to say that your own boss has killed countless innocent people, just like your parents were?"  
  
"He's only killed them because they betrayed him...they were evil people, all of them." He stated.  
  
"And what about me? Do I look evil to you?" She asked, staring at him.  
  
Ash just stared at her, not sure how to react. He was pretty confident that this girl was not the one that had committed his parents' murder. It was as if she was trying to reach inside of him and pull out the little kid that was lost long ago…almost as if she could see through him.  
  
"I-I…"  
  
"Hey Ash!" Yelled Matt through the small device attached to Ash's collar. "We need you again. Come to level 2."  
  
"Got it. I'll be right there." He sighed as he slowly backed away from Misty's jail cell. "Excuse me. Let's go Pikachu."  
  
The pokemon nodded and followed its trainer out of the room. After the door had closed, Misty crouched down in a corner and sighed to herself.  
  
"You okay Brock?" She asked suddenly.  
  
"I'm fine." He replied. "You know, it's weird."  
  
"What is?" Misty asked.  
  
"It's almost as if you were getting through to him, but it was probably just my imagination." Sighed Brock.  
  
"Yeah…"  
  
Giovanni was staring at the small screen in the corner of his desk. He watched as Misty and Brock talked to each other, not even aware that they were being videotaped.   
  
"Hmm…it seems Ms. Waterflower has found my elite's weakness. I'll have to keep a close eye on him to make sure he knows where his loyalties stand." Stated Giovanni. "Ash…you will kill the girl if it's the last thing you do."  
  
A/N: Okay, there's chapter 4! Hope you all liked it! And please, please, please, go check out my one shot called 'Never Again.' I really want everyone's opinion on it. Thanks guys! 


	6. A Startling Revelation

Disclaimer: Don't own pokemon!  
  
A/N: Well, here's chapter 5. Enjoy everyone!  
  
Chapter 5  
  
A Startling Revelation  
  
"Okay, I'm here. What is it?" Asked Ash, who was facing Matt.  
  
"The boss wants us to take care of two more." Matt informed.  
  
"So soon?" He inquired.  
  
"Yeah, he says that something doesn't feel right. He wants to get it done as soon as possible." Matt said. "Which ones do you want to do?"  
  
"Let's go with Koga and Blaine." Sighed Ash tiredly.  
  
"Okay." Said Matt, turning to a squad of rocket members. "You heard him. Go and fetch Koga and Blaine!"  
  
"Yes, sir!" Saluted the rockets as they went to do their duties.  
  
"That'll be three down, huh?" Matt asked Ash. There was no response. Matt looked over at his partner and saw that he was staring blankly down at the ground. "Ash?"  
  
"Huh?" Ash said, whipping his head up. "Did you say something?"  
  
"Yeah, like five minutes ago." Shrugged Matt. "Are you feeling okay? You look kind of pale."  
  
"I'm fine." Sighed Ash.  
  
"Are you sure? I think you're working too hard. Maybe I should ask Rick to take over your shift." Matt offered. Ash's head snapped up as he heard the young boy's name. He was the same rocket member who had harassed Misty earlier. "I'll give him a call."  
  
"No, that's okay. I don't want him in there." Announced Ash.  
  
"Why not?" Asked Matt, a look of question on his face.  
  
"Because he was harassing that gym leader." Ash told him.  
  
"So what?" Matt shrugged.  
  
"I'm not going to allow that." Ash said. "Our job isn't to harass young girls."  
  
"You're talking about the Cerulean gym leader, right?" Questioned Matt.  
  
"Yeah."   
  
"Well, can't say I blame him. She's quite a looker." Smiled Matt.  
  
"Cut it out." Sighed Ash.  
  
"What? Have you already taken her?" Smirked Matt. "Is that why you're constantly taking shift in that room?"  
  
"Will you stop?! Don't you have work to do?" Asked Ash, walking away.  
  
"Not until that squad's back with Blaine and Koga." Said Matt, who was following him. "Just a little warning Ash, don't fall for her. She'll be dead soon anyway."  
  
"Fall for her? I am not going to fall for one of the prisoners." Announced Ash.  
  
"Okay, I was just saying…" Muttered Matt.  
  
"Sir!" Announced one of the rocket members. The rockets that Matt had sent out earlier had returned with Blaine and Koga in tow. "Here are the prisoners."  
  
"What are you going to do with us?" Asked Blaine, trying to shake the rocket members off of him.  
  
"Oh, you'll see old man." Smirked Matt.  
  
"Old!?" Screamed Blaine. "Why you little…"  
  
"Blaine, calm yourself." Said Koga calmly as he faced Matt. "I'm sure there is a valid reason for why we are here."  
  
"Of course there is." Said Matt smoothly. "Why don't you tell them Ash?" He asked, facing his partner who had been unusually quiet. Koga and Blaine also took this opportunity to look the young elite over. Koga gasped in shock as he saw the boy's face.  
  
"You…you're…you're Delia's son…" Stuttered Koga.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Asked Matt, raising an eyebrow. Ash, on the other hand, was staring intently at Koga and what he had to say. "He's obviously lost it. Take him away."  
  
"No, wait!" Demanded Ash. "W-What did you say?"  
  
"I said that you are most definitely Delia's son, am I correct?" Asked Koga.  
  
"How do you know my mother?" Asked Ash shakily.  
  
"Ash, what's going o--" But before Matt could finish, Ash put a hand up, silencing him.  
  
"Your mother was a very good friend of mine, as well as your father." Started Koga. "They helped me out when I needed guidance. They were very good, kind people. After your parents' deaths, we all thought that he had killed you too. It surprises me to see you, their only son, among people such as these." He finished, looking around the room at the rockets.  
  
Ash took a few minutes to let Koga's words sink in and then took a deep breath. "If what you say is true about you knowing my parents, then you must know who killed them."  
  
Koga looked towards the ground and slowly nodded his head.  
  
"Who is it? Who killed my parents? You have to tell me!" Demanded Ash.  
  
"It is the one that you think you are the closest with. He is above you." Sighed Koga. "Your parents were killed by…"  
  
"By two cold hearted gym leaders." Interrupted a voice. Everyone looked to where the voice was coming from and saw Giovanni striding towards them. "My boy, your parents were killed by two of the most vicious leaders of all time…Scott and Renee Waterflower."  
  
"What?! He's lying!" Koga yelled. "Scott and Renee would never do such a thing and I can prove it! Just take a look at their youngest daughter. Their innocence is shown through her. Misty is pure…just like they were."  
  
"Lies! All of them!" Announced Giovanni, angrily. "Matt, take care of them!"  
  
"Yes, sir!" Saluted Matt. "Move out!"   
  
"You won't get away with this!" Screamed Blaine as the two leaders were being hauled away.  
  
"Ash, listen to me! You mustn't believe what Giovanni says! He's only trying to soil your mind with lies! Go to the girl!" Yelled Koga as they disappeared from sight.  
  
A million thoughts were floating through Ash's mind. He just couldn't control them all. Was Koga really telling him the truth? Or did the former gym leaders of Cerulean City really kill his parents? Ash shook his head in frustration and shut his eyes.  
  
"Ash…I will have Rick take over your shift." Said Giovanni. "It's obvious that you've been through enough."  
  
"No, sir. I'm fine." Sighed Ash.  
  
"But I must insist. I don't want my finest member to be unable to perform his duties when the time comes." He urged as he walked away from Ash.  
  
Ash sighed in defeat. "Yes, sir."  
  
Giovanni entered his office and sat in his chair. He looked out of his window at the sky and sighed. "A little too close for comfort."  
  
Just then, the intercom sitting on the desk began to beep. Giovanni pressed the button and laid back in his chair. "Yes? What is it?"  
  
"Sir, the gym leaders are in their positions." Informed Matt.  
  
"Go ahead…kill them." Ordered Giovanni nonchalantly.  
  
"Yes, sir!" Replied Matt on the other end.  
  
Just then, two gun shots rang throughout the corridors of the Team Rocket Headquarters.  
  
"Three down…four to go."  
  
A/N: Well, done with that chapter. Sorry it was kind of short. Lately, it seems as if my chapters are getting shorter and shorter. Oh well, its quality over quantity, right guys? Anyway, review away! AAML forever! 


	7. Revealing the Truth and Childhood Pasts

Disclaimer: Don't own pokemon!  
  
A/N: Okay, here goes chapter 6...I think. Sorry, I tend to lose count. Anyway, I know its been a looong while since my last update so hopefully this chapter will be worth the wait. Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Revealing the Truth and Childhood Pasts  
  
The sun began to set over the hills of Viridian City as the occupants of the Team Rocket Headquarters prepared themselves for the long night ahead. Ash, on the other hand, had been sitting in his office, pondering about what Koga had said earlier. Was it true that Koga really did have some sort of connection with his parents? Or was it just a lie to try to confuse him? He didn't know and had no way of finding out...unless...  
  
Ash stood up out of his seat and looked at the setting sun.  
  
"Maybe...just maybe..."  
  
Just then, Ash ran out of his office and made his way down the corridor and into one of the prisoner's holding rooms.  
  
"Rick, I'm relieving you of your duties for today." Exclaimed Ash as he tried to regain his composure.  
  
"But, sir!" Started the rocket. "I was told by Giovanni to watch them for the rest of your shift. You're not even supposed to be here."  
  
"Since when do you start telling me what to do, huh?"   
  
"I-I'm s-sorry sir." Stuttered the elite as he bowed his head to the ground. After getting up, he quietly exited the room.  
  
"Moron..." Muttered Ash distractedly. He suddenly remembered his reason for kicking the rocket out and abruptly turned to the jail cell. "Now..." He unlocked the cell holding Misty and forced her up. After handcuffing her, he motioned her to follow him. Upon seeing the confused look on her face, he sighed. "Don't worry. It's not your time yet. Just follow me."  
  
Misty nodded slowly and followed Ash out of the room wondering where he could be taking her. She looked around at the other doors around her. Most of them said 'Team Rocket Personnel Only' and she could only assume that those were the rooms that were holding the remaining gym leaders.  
  
"In here." Motioned Ash as he walked Misty into his office. Upon entering the office, Ash locked the door and gave a sigh of relief. He started to walk towards Misty and released her of her shackles. "This is my office. There aren't any video cameras in here. Giovanni would kill me if he knew what I was doing."  
  
"What are you doing?" She asked as the handcuffs fell to the floor.  
  
"Have a seat first, and then I'll explain everything." He sighed as they both sat down. "First of all, I need to ask you a few questions, if that's okay with you."  
  
"Like it matters if it's okay with me or not. You'd force me into answering your questions anyway." She spat out.  
  
"That's not true. The only thing I've forced you into doing is coming here. I haven't made you do anything. I even got rid of that rocket that was harassing you earlier." He stated. "Now please...I need to know the truth."  
  
"I have no idea what you're talking about."   
  
Ash sighed and began to explain his reason for bringing her here. "Are you really Scott and Renee's daughter? Please tell me the truth."  
  
Misty looked taken aback at the sound of her parents name. She looked to the side and closed her eyes painfully. Just thinking about her deceased parents made her think about their death and who had killed them.   
  
"Yes...they're my parents." She whispered.  
  
Ash took a deep breath and realized that Koga was telling the truth. "And is it also true that they were the previous gym leaders?"  
  
"Yes, that's also true. I took over after...after..." Misty bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall.  
  
"Its okay. I know." Ash sighed, putting his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Why are you asking me all of this?" She asked, looking up at him.  
  
"I'm just trying to figure something out." He sighed.  
  
"Your parents...you're trying to figure out who killed them, aren't you?" Misty asked, putting all the pieces together. "And you thought that my parents had killed them..."  
  
"No, it's not like that at all-" Ash started, but was interrupted as Misty stood up.  
  
"That's it, isn't it? You think that they killed them." She whispered. "Well, let me tell you something Mr. Elite. My parents were good people and they didn't deserve to die, no matter what anyone says."  
  
"I know...I know they didn't kill my parents." Ash stated, trying to calm the young girl. "I just needed to see you to make sure."  
  
"Me? What do I have to do with this?" She inquired, sitting down again.  
  
Ash took in yet another deep breath and began to recall what Koga had said earlier. "Today was Koga and Blaine's day to go. We were commanded by Giovanni to take care of them. We gathered them into the main hall and that's when he said it. Koga said that he knew my parents before they died…that your parents didn't kill them."  
  
"What gave you the idea that my parents killed them in the first place?"  
  
"Giovanni had said that they were pure evil and only cared about themselves. He's the one that told me." Ash finished.  
  
"And you believed that bullshit?" She asked, swallowing back a lump that had formed in her throat.  
  
"That's why I came to see you." He explained. "Before Koga was taken away, he told me to see you for the truth…because you would never lie."   
  
"My parents would never kill anyone." Misty stated. "And their lives were taken away for no reason at all. How is that right?"  
  
"I'm sorry for accusing them, but now I know the truth." He sighed.  
  
"I don't understand. You believe me?" She asked.  
  
"Unless you give me a reason not to." Ash smiled, standing up. "It's kind of hard to explain. I only trust people who I believe would do no harm to others. And that's you."  
  
"But we're completely different people, how can you trust me so easily?" Misty inquired.  
  
"If you think about it, we're not so different. We both seek to avenge our parents' deaths; we're both loyal to our friends, the list goes on." He said simply.  
  
"I guess you're right." She sighed. Misty's eyes then shifted over to the elite's desk where a picture was sitting. "What's that?"  
  
"Huh? Oh this?" He said picking up the photo. "It's a picture of my parents, me, and some other people with their daughters. It's the only picture I have left of them. I remember me and their youngest daughter used to play together all the time. We go into so much trouble." Ash laughed, recalling his younger days. "We even got identical scars. We tried climbing this big oak tree in my back yard. The branch broke under our weight and we fell." He finished as he lifted up his sleeve to show her the scar. "I'll never forget that girl or the memories we had."  
  
Misty put her arm on Ash's desk and waited for his reaction. "Neither will I."  
  
A/N: Well, there it is! Kind of short, I know, but hey, it is starting to heat up. Anyway, review guys! Thanks! 


	8. Reunion of Two

Disclaimer: Don't own pokemon!  
  
A/N: Wow…when was the last time I updated this story? Anyway, thanks for the patience guys, I really, truly appreciate it! Well, on with the show!  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Reunion of Two  
  
Ash fell silent for a moment and tried to answer back, but found that his voice was caught in his throat.  
  
"You…your…the girl…," he stuttered.  
  
Misty just nodded in response, what more could she do?   
  
"You're that little boy…the one I always used to play with…the one that would constantly stand up for me when I was bullied around for being a runt…," she whispered. "I can't believe it."  
  
"No…that can't be. It just can't…," breathed Ash, who was now pacing around the room in a panic.  
  
"Why not? The pieces fit, don't they?" questioned Misty, who was now standing to face the elite. "It's not impossible."  
  
Ash slammed his fist against his desk, causing some loose papers and items to scatter across the floor. Everything was happening so fast. This girl was once a childhood friend and she would soon be dead at the hands of Giovanni.  
  
"Come on," Ash announced solemnly.  
  
"Where are we going?" Misty asked.  
  
"You're going back to your cell," he stated. "I need some time to think."  
  
"Ash, it's the truth, whether you believe it or not," whispered Misty.  
  
"I believe it…I just can't accept it," he replied.  
  
"I know it's hard, it's a big shock for me too, but we can get through this together. Please, deep down, you know Giovanni is the wrong one here," Misty tried to explain.  
  
"No. I can't defy him. He's like a father to me," said Ash, shaking his head.  
  
"But he isn't your father. He can't replace your father, he'll never be able to," she said. "Ash, please…"   
  
"I said no! I can't! I don't care who you are, no one will ever cause me to betray him," he shouted in frustration.  
  
"Fine…" Misty whispered. "I'm sorry for bringing up any bad memories. Am I the next one to go? Well, I guess it really doesn't matter. I'll be dead either way," said Misty, in a low voice.  
  
"Don't say that!" screamed Ash.  
  
He was clutching his desk and shaking his head furiously.  
  
"I can't handle much more of this!" he yelled out, grabbing Misty's cuffs. He reattached them to her wrists and turned her around. "Don't tell anyone you were here, understand?"  
  
"Whatever…" said Misty, who was now staring at the ground.  
  
"Don't give me that! Come on, Misty," pleaded Ash.  
  
Hearing the urgency in his voice, Misty turned to look at him. His eyes showed nothing of his current Team Rocket reputation, but that of his young, innocent childhood days. Misty thought that after the death of her parents those days were lost forever, but seeing the look in Ash's eyes rekindled a light that had been out for far too long.  
  
"Okay, I won't tell anyone," she replied softly.  
  
"Thank you," smiled Ash gratefully.  
  
"No problem," she sighed. "Well, let's go."  
  
She started to head for the door when Ash's voice caused her to stop.  
  
"Misty…"   
  
She turned to look at him once again.  
  
"What is it Ash?" she asked, waiting for a response.  
  
Ash just stared at her, not sure of what he was going to say in the first place. What had caused him to even call her name?   
  
"Never mind," he said, shaking his head. "Let's go."  
  
He led her out of his office and into her holding room, where Brock was waiting eagerly. He placed her in her respective cell and locked the door. With one last look back at Misty, he swiftly left the room.  
  
"What was that all about?" inquired Brock.  
  
"I'm not sure," replied Misty, looking back at the door in which Ash had departed.  
  
Ash was walking through the corridors of the Team Rocket Headquarters, thinking to himself.  
  
'She can't be the same person, can she?' thought Ash as he made his way through the corridor.  
  
"Hey Ash!" came a voice from down the hall.  
  
Ash looked up and turned his head to see his partner, Matt.  
  
"I thought you were supposed to be on a break?" asked Matt.  
  
"I needed to check something real quick," replied Ash.  
  
"Oh, well, is Rick back at his post?" Matt inquired, looking back at the room.  
  
"No, its fine. The prisoners aren't going anywhere," he sighed.  
  
Seeing the forlorn look in Ash's eyes, Matt placed a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Are you feeling ok?" Hearing Matt's voice, Ash looked up and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.  
  
"Matt…did you ever stop and wonder if this is all for real?" whispered Ash.  
  
"Huh? What do you mean?" he asked.  
  
"What I mean is…have you ever felt like we're just being used, like this is some sort of game?" Ash asked.  
  
"No, of course not. Giovanni would never use us in that way. He knows how hard we work and rewards us for accomplishing our missions," replied Matt. "What are you implying anyway?"  
  
"Nothing," Ash sighed. "Things have just been different lately."  
  
"Ash, by any chance, does this have something to do with what Koga said earlier?" inquired Matt, stopping his partner in his tracks.  
  
Ash just stared at his partner, not knowing what to say.  
  
"Come on, Ash. You know everything he said was a lie. You can't trust any of them, especially that girl from Cerulean City. I bet those two are in it together. Her parents probably deserved to die--"  
  
"Stop it Matt!" yelled Ash.  
  
"Huh? Hey, what's wrong bro?" asked Matt, who was now giving Ash a very confused look.  
  
"Nothing…I just-I just need to get some fresh air, that's all," replied Ash, who continued to walk down the corridor.  
  
"Okay," shrugged Matt as he returned to his duties.  
  
'What is wrong with me?' thought Ash. 'I shouldn't be questioning Matt about these things. I need to figure this out for myself.'  
  
"Ash?" said a low voice.  
  
Ash looked up once again and saw Giovanni staring at him. Ash immediately bowed and spoke in a low voice.  
  
"Hello, sir," he said.  
  
"Is something the matter, Ash?" asked Giovanni.  
  
"N-No, sir. What makes you think anything is wrong?" stuttered Ash.  
  
"My mistake then," Giovanni replied, walking alongside Ash. "You know Ash, you're one of my best rockets. I would hate to lose you."  
  
Ash took in a sharp breath at Giovanni's words. Had Giovanni heard his conversation with Matt?  
  
"You won't lose me, sir. I will stay loyal to this team until the end," bowed Ash.  
  
"I'm very relieved to hear that," smirked Giovanni. "I'm very sorry for what happened earlier. I know it must have been hard hearing all those lies from that heathen, Koga. I was the only one who understood your parents. They were good people; they really didn't deserve to die."   
  
"Thank you, sir," Ash nodded.  
  
"Your welcome, I'll hold you to your word then," he paused and then continued, "Well, I must tend to some unfinished business. If you'll excuse me."  
  
Ash nodded and watched as Giovanni walked back into his office.  
  
"He'll hold me to my word…" Ash repeated. 'Is that really worth anything?'  
  
"Pika pi!"   
  
Ash turned his head and saw his pokemon, Pikachu, running up to him.  
  
"What is it, buddy?" Ash asked.  
  
"Pika pikachu pi chu pikachu!" it wailed.  
  
"I told Rick not to go back in that room," sighed Ash. "Come on, let's go before he causes anymore trouble."  
  
Pikachu jumped on its master's shoulder and they headed off in the direction of the holding room. Upon entering the room, Ash saw the young rocket teasing Misty and constantly poking her with his pocket knife.  
  
"Aww, come here sweetie. I only want to play," he taunted.  
  
Having had enough, Ash lifted the rocket by the collar and threw him against the nearest wall.  
  
"S-Sir!" exclaimed Rick.  
  
"Listen and listen good. I don't ever want to see you in this room again, got it?" stated Ash firmly. "You will no longer be assigned to watch these prisoners."  
  
With a final glare, Ash threw Rick to the side and opened the door.  
  
"Get out," he stated.  
  
Rubbing his arm and muttering under his breath, the rocket started to exit the room.   
  
"Stuck up punk…" Rick muttered.  
  
"Pikachu!" exclaimed the pokemon angrily as it threw a thunder shock at the rocket.  
  
"Pikachu, that's enough," said Ash as he closed the door in the injured rocket's face.  
  
Sighing, Ash sat down in his chair and began to file through some papers left on the desk. He jotted something down on a blank piece of paper and handed it to Pikachu.  
  
"Here buddy, give this to Giovanni," he said.  
  
"Pikachu?" it asked, taking the note in its paws.  
  
"It's a letter relieving Rick of his duties for the time being," he explained. "Go and give it to him."  
  
"Pika!" it exclaimed, running out of the room.  
  
Sighing once more, Ash leaned back in his chair to relax. Looking over at the jail cell, he noticed that Misty was nursing an injured arm. He walked over to her cell and opened the lock.  
  
"Come here," he said.  
  
"Why? Is it my time yet?" she noted sarcastically.  
  
"Come on, let me take a look at that," he said as she stood up.  
  
Misty walked out of the cell and stood in front of his desk. Ash searched around in a few of his drawers and found exactly what he was looking for.  
  
"Here we go," he said to no one in particular. "Let me see your arm."  
  
Misty looked at her injured arm and then back at Ash.  
  
"I won't hurt you, I promise," he stated as she reluctantly let him examine her arm. "Hmm…it's not too bad. Just a little antiseptic and it should be as good as new."  
  
After pouring some of the clear liquid onto a cloth, Ash applied it to Misty's exposed skin and wrapped it up in a bandage.  
  
"There you go," he smiled, letting her arm go.  
  
Misty looked at her arm and gave a faint smile.  
  
"Thank you, Ash," she said.  
  
"Your welcome," he smiled.  
  
"I don't get it. Why help us when you know we're going to die anyway?" asked Brock, who was now standing up.  
  
"Good question," replied Ash, looking down at the ground, "I don't really know myself."  
  
"You know, you're not as bad as I originally thought," commented Brock.  
  
"I guess your right," he replied, looking in Misty's direction.  
  
"So, why stay with Team Rocket?" Brock inquired.  
  
"Brock, just drop it," interrupted Misty calmly as she once again entered her cell.  
  
"Misty…I'm really sorry about--" Ash stopped as a loud beep rang through the intercom attached to his collar.  
  
"Ash! It's Matt. I could use your help down at the base level," announced the rocket.  
  
"Sure, what's up?" he asked.  
  
"Its Surge, we're having trouble restraining him," Matt exclaimed tiredly.  
  
"You'll never take me down!" yelled a voice, that was unrecognizably Surge's, over the intercom.  
  
"See what I mean?" said Matt.  
  
"Okay, I'll be right there," nodded Ash.  
  
"Thanks bro and bring Pikachu too." The intercom beeped once more and then died.  
  
"Well, you heard him buddy. Let's go," sighed Ash.  
  
"Pika!"   
  
Ash opened the door to let Pikachu out, but before leaving he took one last glance back at Misty. Several moments later, he disappeared through the door.  
  
"What was that all about?" questioned Brock.  
  
"I wish I knew…"  
  
A/N: Yay! Yay! Yay! I finished it and all in 2 days too! Err…okay, um, you guys know the drill and once again I apologize for the long (gee, that's an understatement) delay. Thanks for your patience! AAML forever! 


	9. Cry for Help

Disclaimer: Don't own pokemon!  
  
A/N: Well…um…sorry for the long delay guys. If you want to see what I've been doing, go check out my profile. Anyway, again, thanks for the patience and I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Enjoy!!!  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Cry for Help  
  
"Pikachu, use your thunderbolt!" yelled a voice.  
  
In response, the little electric mouse reared back, clenched his tiny paws, and let loose a fearsome thunderbolt from out of thin air. An ear splitting scream filled the room as the attack hit its mark. The main target of the attack crumpled to his knees, panting.  
  
"It'll take more than that to take me down!" screamed Surge as he started to stand up, despite the cuts on his arms and legs, "You expect me to show weakness when my specialty are electric types?"  
  
"Very true," sighed Ash tiredly.   
  
He had been at it for nearly an hour, trying restlessly to restrain the Vermilion City gym leader. All of the other rockets were too intimidated by Surge's size to make any physical movements. They finally resulted to using pokemon, which was usually only used as a last resort.  
  
"Bring in the sedative," ordered Ash, pointing to the waiting rockets.  
  
Glad to be out of the room, they all scurried off toward the exit and followed Ash's orders.  
  
"Why do this?" Surge asked suddenly.  
  
"Do what?" asked Ash, uninterested in where this conversation was going, "Kill you and the other gym leaders?"  
  
Surge nodded slowly in response to the question.  
  
"Why not?" he shrugged, brushing his own question aside.   
  
"There must be some reason," added Surge forcibly.  
  
"There is, but you don't need to know it. What good will it do if I tell you? You won't escape this alive," Ash pointed out.  
  
"And what about Misty? Why wait until the last day to do her in? Unless there's some kind of connection between the two of you," thought Surge aloud. He knew that this would get to Ash and hopefully he would reveal something of importance.  
  
"There is no connection," said Ash shakily, "And the reason I'm waiting for her is because I see her as less of a threat…unlike you my friend."  
  
At his last words, Surge fell to his knees, a bright orange dart piercing his neck.  
  
"There is a connection…I know there is…don't ignore it…" breathed Surge as he unconsciously fell to the ground.  
  
Staring at the unconscious gym leader on the ground, Ash looked away and clenched his fists in anger.  
  
"There is no connection! Do you hear me?!" bellowed Ash, his voice echoing throughout the corridor. He had caught the attention of all of the rockets and straightened up, "Take him away," he muttered, completely ignoring the fact that his fellow teammates were still staring at him in bewilderment.  
  
Ash looked around the room and saw that none of them were moving.  
  
"What are you all waiting for?!" screamed Ash angrily.   
  
"Y-Yes, sir," the rockets stuttered as they managed to lift Surge's massive body. After retrieving the limp body, they quickly retreated out of the room, leaving only Matt, Ash, and Pikachu.  
  
His fists still shaking with rage, Ash gathered Pikachu onto his shoulder and threw his cape behind him. He started to exit the room when Matt placed a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Are you alright?" Matt asked, concerned for his partner.  
  
"I'm fine. I wish people would stop asking me," scowled Ash, not turning to look at him.  
  
"Well, it's just that you've been acting really strange lately, ever since the other day when we took care of Koga and Blaine," stated Matt, who was trying to get Ash to look at him, "I hope you're not still thinking about what Koga said. You heard Giovanni. The guy was a lying bastard. He couldn't be trusted. Remember Ash, you can't believe everything you hear," he finished.  
  
"Don't you think I know that by now?" Ash questioned, finally turning around to face his partner. The anger was wiped away from his face and replaced with a solemn look, "I'm an orphan, Matt. Don't you think I know that not everyone is telling the truth? You know just as well as I do that there are only a select few in this world worth trusting."  
  
Matt nodded in solid agreement. "I know where you're coming from. Don't forget, I'm an orphan too. We orphans have to stick together," he smiled confidently, hoping to force a small smile onto his friend's face.  
  
Ash smiled and took in a deep breath. "You're right. Come on, let's get out of here," he finished, walking towards the door.  
  
"Another close call," sighed Giovanni as he rocked in his black, leather armchair, watching the video camera in which he could clearly see Ash and Matt. Giovanni got up from out of his chair and walked over to his window. Staring out into the glowing city, he sank into deep thought, 'That connection that Surge was talking about…I wonder if it had anything to do with Scott and Renee. No matter…if all goes well, Ash won't ever find out about his true past.'  
  
Smirking, Giovanni pushed a small button on the video camera, and, once again, Ash came into view. "I'll have to keep a close eye on him."  
  
Elsewhere, in the corridors of the headquarters, Ash was heading off in the direction of Misty and Brock's holding room. As he neared the room, he could hear screaming and a young girl sobbing. Sprinting the rest of the way to the room, he threw the door open to find that Brock was being forced out of his cell by two rocket members. He looked to his left and saw that Misty was trying her best to hold onto Brock, while endless tears were streaming down her face.  
  
"What's going on?" demanded Ash.  
  
The two rockets, who had just noticed that Ash had walked into the room, turned to face him.   
  
"Sir, we've been informed by Giovanni to exterminate this gym leader," answered one of the rockets.  
  
"But why so soon? We just got through with Surge a while ago," argued Ash.  
  
"I don't know sir. You'll have to take it up with the boss," said the other rocket.  
  
"But why wasn't I informed?" he demanded.  
  
Both rockets shrugged as they continued to pull Brock out of his cell.  
  
"No! Please don't so this!" wailed Misty, as she continued to hold onto Brock's arm.  
  
"Let go!" yelled one of the rockets as he attempted to pry Misty's fingers from off of Brock.  
  
The other rocket joined in the tug of war and triumphantly loosened Misty's grip.  
  
"Don't worry little girl. You'll join him soon enough," laughed the rocket as they both hauled Brock to his feet.  
  
Misty, just now noticing that Ash had entered the room, shot him a pleading look. Ash looked back at her and took in a sharp breath. He was completely oblivious to the two rockets in the room; he just continued to stare into Misty's piercing blue eyes. He couldn't find the courage, nor the strength to pull his gaze away from her. He didn't know why, but he knew he had to try to postpone the Pewter City gym leader's death sentence as much as possible.  
  
"Hold on a second," Ash summoned as he walked over to the two rockets. "You need a…um…a warrant to…uh…give permission to kill this man," stuttered Ash as the two rockets stared at him in bewilderment.  
  
"A warrant?" repeated one of the rockets, "Since when?"  
  
Ash gave him a very stern look. "And since when do you start asking me questions?"  
  
"I-I apologize sir," stuttered the rocket uncomfortably, "I didn't know."  
  
"Remember where your position is," sneered Ash as he walked up to the pair, "Now get out."  
  
The two rockets released Brock, bowed to Ash, and then left the room without another word. Ash, himself, was a little surprised by the way he acted. He turned back to look at the two prisoners.  
  
"Why did you…?" started Brock, but Ash interrupted him.  
  
"I'm not too sure myself what just happened," Ash said softly, "I guess I spared you a little more time."  
  
"A little more time?" asked Brock, "Is that all it was? You should have just had them take me then. Why postpone what I can't control?"  
  
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you," he hesitated for a moment, and then continued, "But you will escape this alive."  
  
"Huh?" Brock was looking at him thunderstruck. Had he just heard what he thought he heard?  
  
"Does that mean…" whispered Misty, almost inaudibly.   
  
"I don't know yet. I still have to figure some things out, but if you really are who you say you are then…"  
  
"Ash!" yelled a voice on his intercom.  
  
"Yeah, what is it?" he asked.  
  
"What happened to the Pewter gym leader? I thought I sent two of the guys to go and fetch him," said Matt.  
  
"Well, they never showed up. We'll have to do it some other time," answered Ash.  
  
"Alright then. We're going to take care of the other girl then..."  
  
At the sound of this Ash's heart started pounding. He had just told Misty that they would escape alive and now here he was, about to exterminate her.  
  
"I think her name is Erica," finished Matt uncertainly.  
  
Ash's heart skipped a beat as he let out a sigh. "Oh, okay."  
  
"Want to come along and watch?" asked Matt eagerly.  
  
"No thanks, I--"  
  
"Oh! Hold on a second," Matt interrupted suddenly.  
  
Ash heard a shuffling around in the background and then a view voices came into hearing range. The voices were too soft and too unclear to be heard, but just seconds later Matt's voice came back into range.  
  
"Hey, I've just been informed that you should separate the remaining two prisoners in different holding rooms," Matt said.  
  
"Why?" asked Ash, looking at Misty and Brock.  
  
"Giovanni says that he doesn't want them planning an escape, so if we separate them, they won't know where the other is," Matt replied.  
  
"Okay then. I'm on it."  
  
"Alright, over and out," and the intercom all of a sudden went dead.  
  
Ash instinctively looked over at Misty and motioned her over to him. "Come on."  
  
He unlocked her cell and tied up her hands.  
  
"Is that really necessary?" she asked.  
  
"Regulation procedure," he replied, "Come on. Let's go."  
  
With that said, they headed out of the door, but not before Misty gave Brock a small, but confident smile.   
  
The pair walked along the corridor in complete silence as the soft beating of the rain dropped along the metal exterior of the building. All of a sudden, Misty stopped in her tracks.  
  
"So, why are you doing this Ash?" she asked suddenly, turning to face him.  
  
The question was unexpected and although it didn't seem to be the right time, he smiled at her thoughtfully.  
  
"Doing what?"  
  
"You know what I mean," she replied, giving him a light smile.  
  
"Why do you think people do things they aren't supposed to?" he asked, releasing his grip on her. "My heart's telling me that something's not right here, that there's more that I just don't know about," he hesitated for a while, looking deep into the core of her eyes, and then continued, "Do you believe what your heart says?"  
  
"My heart tells me a lot of things…some of them I wish I could believe," she said as she took a step forward, "Some of them just seem so out of reach."  
  
Ash nodded slowly and then looked towards the ground. Never in his entire life had he considered listening to his heart. It had been something that he had ignored for the past twenty-four years of his life and now, after all this time, it felt like he was finally starting to listen. But why had it taken him this long to realize it?   
  
"Out of reach…" he repeated as he looked up once more. He took one step forward and breathed in deeply. He was standing directly in front of her. No more than six inches away stood the girl that he used to play with back in Pallet, there stood the girl that was causing him to feel this way…the one that would be executed in a few days time. But he just couldn't let that happen. A small voice inside of him was telling him not to listen to what Giovanni was saying, but he was like a father to him. How could he ever disobey him?  
  
"Ash?" Misty whispered softly, "What are you thinking?"  
  
Ash slowly leaned in towards Misty. 'Keep going, keep going,' the voice urged, 'You can do it.'  
  
As if on cue, Misty also began to lean in. Both of them, not caring where they were, were entranced by the other's eyes. Slowly but surely they continued to lean in, until…  
  
"Hey Ash!" yelled a voice from behind.  
  
Startled, both teens whipped their heads around to see who the voice belonged to. Matt came running along the corridor, waving his hand in the air.  
  
"Where are you going?" he panted, stopping for a moment to catch his breath. "He wants her down in the dungeon."  
  
"The dungeon? But that's where--"  
  
"I know. That's where we keep the deranged pokemon," Matt explained nonchalantly, "But he said that it's for the best," he shrugged.  
  
"The best, huh?" Ash repeated as he looked towards Misty, "The best isn't good enough Matt."  
  
"Huh? What are you talking about? Who cares what happens to her?" Matt asked, obviously clueless as to what his partner was saying.  
  
"I can't believe you. You don't even care," whispered Ash.  
  
"Of course I don't. It's not my problem," he explained, "Besides, just think about it. The money, remember? That's what you've been aiming for all along. Don't give up all that money now, not after all of your hard work. This gym leader's worth thousands. Remember how mucha gym makes a year? That's more than what we can hope to afford in five years. Come on Ash, don't throw all that away."  
  
Ash just stared at his partner and shook his head in disgust. Holding Misty firmly by the shoulders, he proceeded to walk away, back to his office.  
  
"Hey! Where are you going? The dungeon's this way!" yelled Matt as he pointed in the opposite direction. Finally realizing that Ash was not coming back, he lowered his arm in defeat. "Ash, what's happening to you?"  
  
After several more minutes of complete silence, they finally reached Ash's office at the end of the corridor. After firmly shutting and locking the door, he turned to Misty.  
  
"I'm not taking you to that dungeon," he said softly.  
  
"Thanks for the pity!" Misty spat out.  
  
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Ash asked, making no sense as to what she was trying to say.  
  
Misty broke down on her knees and began to cry softly, her tears matching the rhythmic beating of the rain outside.  
  
"All those gym leaders…all those innocent lives…gone…just for money?" Misty sobbed, lifting her tear stained face to look up at Ash.  
  
Ash knelt down to her level and just stared. 'She's right,' he thought, 'What's the point? Are lives really worth losing just for the sake of money?'  
  
"Misty…I-I'm sorry. I didn't realize--"  
  
"Exactly! You didn't realize Ash! That's exactly what you didn't do," Misty argued, shaking her head in frustration, "I just don't get it…"  
  
"Misty please…"  
  
Ash reached out to lightly touch her shoulder, but Misty pulled back forcefully before he could make contact. The tension in the room was worsening by the minute. Every second seemed to tick by as if it were the equivalent to an hour. The only things that could be heard were the tapping of the rain outside and the drops of Misty's tears on the solid, steel floor.  
  
"What's the point?" Ash muttered out.  
  
Misty lifted up her face slowly and looked at him uncertainly. Maybe he was finally starting to understand…  
  
"I've been doing this…for so long that I've almost forgotten how to live, how to control myself…how to listen to my own heart. I thought I knew where I was going in life, but now I'm not so sure. I thought I had everything figured out, and then you came along and changed all that. I don't know what to think anymore," he paused for a moment, and then continued, "I don't know who to trust…"  
  
"It seems to me that you've put all your trust in Giovanni, in this whole organization," Misty stated.  
  
"This team is like a family to me…and Giovanni is like the father I never had. You should know the feeling, you're just like me. You've lost family too," Ash said as he slowly approached her.  
  
"Brock has acted just like a brother to me, and to lose him…it would be like having no family at all. He's the only one I have left. My mother, my father, my sisters…everyone is gone. I've never had a significant other or any good friends besides the gym leaders," Misty let a few tears fall at the remembrance of her fallen comrades, and then continued, "And now…even they're gone."  
  
Ash just stared into her eyes, not being able to find the right words to fill the void that was forming. This girl had lost everything, just as he had. She was going through the same things he had gone through, and yet, he could not find the right words to console her.   
  
Why did things like this always have to happen to him? Why couldn't this have happened to someone else? Why was he always the one to be tested?  
  
All these questions and more seemed to bombard Ash's mind. It was so overwhelming that he had to take a seat and mentally relax himself.  
  
'Why? Why? Why?!' Ash mentally screamed at himself.  
  
After several minutes of silence, Ash finally spoke up.  
  
"I'm sorry this is happening, but…," he paused for a moment before continuing, "I just don't know how to stop this. I'm so confused. There are so many mixed feelings, but I can't decipher any of them."  
  
Misty looked up at him sympathetically, and for the first time she saw a completely different person. She knew there was more to him than meets the eye. She saw a mixture of emotions…fear, anger, confusion, and…love.  
  
What was that last one? Love? A person of his stature would surely be denied of that, but then what was that look on his face. How could a person, an elite of Team Rocket Headquarters, ever be filled with the kind of love that brought two people's hearts together? Maybe she was mistaken, but then again…he had shown that he had some sincerity in his heart. All that needed to be done was to have the rest of his feelings, these pent up emotions, released, and then maybe, just maybe they would stand a chance.  
  
"I'm gonna help you," whispered Ash.  
  
Misty looked up at him and gave him a heartwarming smile. She stood up and reached out her hand to gently touch his cheek as a single tear made its way down Ash's face.  
  
"And I'm going to help you."  
  
A/N: Finally done with that chapter! Oh my gosh…I didn't think I would ever get that one done. Anyways, review away! And sorry for the long wait guys! 


	10. Last Chance

Disclaimer: Don't own pokemon!  
  
A/N: And the plot thickens!!! Hahaha! Er…sorry about that. I'm just really excited that this story is finally coming to a close. I have some great ideas for other stories and I want to get that started as soon as possible. Anyway, on with the show!  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Last Chance  
  
"Huh? Where is she?" Ash asked himself as he searched his office. He had gone there first thing in the morning, assuming that she would be right where he had left her the previous night.   
  
He ran over to his desk and searched frantically for anything that would tell him of her whereabouts. He opened drawers, looked on the floor, and searched through his papers, but he found nothing. But just as he was about to go to her previous holding room, he heard a voice.   
  
"Hey Ash," came a voice from his intercom. It was Matt.  
  
"Yeah, what?" Ash asked distractedly. He was still worried about Misty and thought that what Matt had to tell him served little importance.  
  
"I think you should come down to the main hall," Matt said shakily.  
  
Ash heard the uncertainty in his friend's voice and immediately gave Matt his full attention.  
  
"Why?" he asked cautiously.  
  
"Because there's something here that you might want to see," Matt answered.  
  
Ash grabbed two things from off of his desk and continued to listen to what Matt had to say.  
  
"What are you talking about Matt?" Ash demanded already making his way to the main hall. When Ash heard no response he became irritated. "Matt! What is it?!" he yelled, breaking into a run.  
  
"Damn it…"  
  
As he reached the double doors to entry into the main hall, he paused, praying that he wasn't too late. 'Please be okay…'  
  
He swung the doors open and quickly scanned the room in search of Matt. At first he saw no one, but as he neared the center of the room he heard footsteps approaching him. Through the darkness, he could make out five figures. Two of them he was sure were Misty and Matt, but he wasn't sure about the other three.  
  
"Well, Ash today is the day," said a voice from the darkness. Ash instantly recognized it as Giovanni's. He started to panic. If Giovanni was here, it most definitely meant trouble for him and Misty.  
  
Giovanni came out from the shadows of the room and slowly walked towards Ash. He stopped a few feet short and looked Ash up and down and then he motioned for the remaining people to step out next to him. He could tell a struggle was happening because of the way the shadows were moving, but it quickly ended and the four people came out into the open light. Matt and Rick were restraining Misty and Brock, holding them out in front of them so that Ash could get in a good look.  
  
"What's going on?" asked Ash as he took a step forward.  
  
"Didn't you hear Ash? There time is up," laughed Rick, "And it's about time too."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Ash demanded, glaring at Rick.  
  
In response, Giovanni took one more step forward. "Our plan Ash, or have you completely forgotten?" asked Giovanni sinisterly.   
  
"N-No, of course I haven't forgotten," stuttered Ash, frantically thinking of a plan to get them out of here.  
  
"Ash, I've become very concerned about your behavior for the past couple of weeks. I've been monitoring your movements on the premises and I find it odd that you always seemed to find your way to this girl's room," explained Giovanni, "Matt, your own partner, has also been concerned about you, so that's why he came up to me and reported you."  
  
Ash glared at Matt, once his good friend and now his enemy. Matt had no business interfering with his own problems. Now, because of Matt's bad judgment, Misty and Brock could pay the ultimate price.  
  
"Don't give me that look. I was worried about you. You've acted like this before and I just thought that the pressure was getting to you," Matt explained sternly.   
  
"I can take care of myself! You had no business reporting me!" Ash yelled at him. Inside, he knew that Matt had meant well, but it wasn't a matter of that. Now, it was a matter of life and death.  
  
"You two can finish your little argument later," announced Giovanni nonchalantly.   
  
Ash's heart started pounding furiously as silence filled the room. He didn't know what would happen in the end; he just hoped that they would all get out of here alive.  
  
"Here," said Giovanni as he pulled something black out of his pocket. Misty gasped as she saw it. He threw it over at Ash and he caught it carefully. It was a gun…  
  
"Do it!" Rick yelled, shoving Misty into his range.   
  
He looked at her as she stood there. She was still and had no intention of running away. He looked into her eyes and saw not a single strand of fear.   
  
"Is this how it's supposed to be?" Ash asked Matt, "Murdering people for the sole purpose of gaining money?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" he asked.  
  
"Come on Matt," Ash said, "You know exactly what I mean. This is isn't right and you know it."  
  
"Ash, you're the elite. You're not supposed to be siding with them. You're the most feared Team Rocket member in the whole Kanto region," Matt finished.  
  
"It's just a title; it doesn't mean anything to me anymore. There are more important things in life. Didn't you ever wonder if maybe there's more out there? That maybe this isn't where we belong? What's the point in doing this? Is it really worth all the pain and the suffering? Tell me Matt," he said, looking over at his partner.  
  
In response, Matt just looked back at his friend, not sure what to say. He looked over at Misty and Brock and realized that they were just like him. They were human beings, not objects to be messed around with. They had feelings too and maybe it was then that he realized that there was more to life then living a life full of crime and hate.  
  
"Ash, listen to me," started Giovanni, "These people want you to betray us. This is all part of their plan. If you kill them, then you're guaranteed the satisfaction that you've avenged you're parents' deaths," he paused, and then continued, "Do it…"  
  
Ash nodded at him and raised the gun to eye level. Misty closed her eyes, knowing that it was hopeless now. She knew that hate had overridden Ash and that there was no turning back now. She thought that he knew better, but in the end, it was all an act.  
  
She looked up into his eyes and stared, uncertain about the outcome. She thought she saw a flicker in his eyes but quickly dismissed it when she heard him cock the gun. Ash started to walk closer, the gun still aimed at Misty. He stopped until he was about five feet away from her.  
  
For the first time in his life, he was scared. He felt emotions within himself that he had never experienced before. Each glance he shot towards Misty made these emotions stronger and stronger. He wasn't sure what to do, but then again, was he ever really sure about himself? In any case, he wouldn't allow anything to happen to her, especially with these emotions flowing throughout him. Maybe he had felt these feelings before; maybe they were just locked away, waiting to be released again. Of this he was not sure, but what he did know is that he cared for Misty, more than he had cared for anyone within his time at Team Rocket. But now was the time, there was no looking back. He had to think of plan fast and act on it. Now, it was a case of life and death. There was no room for mistakes.  
  
"You lied to me…after I put all my trust in you…you lied," whispered Ash menacingly, "All these years, I've been living my life with nothing more than terrorizing the people of Kanto. I've been looked up to as a role model for the younger Team Rocket members and I've been viewed as one of the most dangerous men in the world."  
  
Ash took another step closer, the gun still raised. He looked straight into Misty's eyes, trying to reassure her that everything would be all right. He wasn't sure what she was thinking right now, but he knew that she had probably lost all faith in him. He wasn't quite sure himself if everything would go according to plan because with Giovanni, anything was possible.  
  
"I've been lied to my whole life, I've watched countless people die at your hands, and I did nothing to stop it…until now," Ash slowly swung around and pointed the gun at Giovanni.  
  
"You don't know what you're doing," exclaimed Giovanni calmly.  
  
"I know exactly what I'm doing and for the first time in my life, my eyes are open. I don't know why I never saw it earlier…you murdered my parents," breathed Ash angrily.  
  
Revealing this startling revelation, both Misty and Matt gasped.  
  
"Is that true?" asked Matt.  
  
"I won't lie. It's true, all of it," he announced proudly.  
  
"But why Ash's parents?" Matt asked.  
  
"Because they were working with the Waterflowers to prevent me from starting Team Rocket," Giovanni growled.  
  
Both Ash and Misty looked up at him in disbelief. Their parents had worked together to prevent the starting of Team Rocket. So, there was a connection between the two of them. Besides from being childhood friends, their parents had fought side by side against Giovanni, just as they were doing now.  
  
"Our parents worked together?" Misty asked.  
  
"They did. They were very powerful, but I knew they had weaknesses. I kidnapped the two of you in hopes of luring them into my trap. They came in search of you, but unfortunately for me, Ash's parents escaped. I can't say the same for her parents or her sisters," he said, then reverted his gaze to Misty, "I had the intention of training you to become a Team Rocket member, but you escaped. So, when I had gone to murder Ash's parents, I took him in instead."  
  
It took Ash and Misty a while to let everything sink in. They had been childhood friends, their parents had worked together, and they both were murdered at the hands of Giovanni. Everything was finally starting to come together, but one thing still remained. What would the outcome be? Would they get out alive?  
  
Ash nodded in response to his conscious. He would do this and escape with Misty and Brock alive. Nothing was going to keep him from rescuing them…not even Giovanni.  
  
The shadows on the walls of the main hall kept flickering in the candle light. The rain was pounding furiously on the roof of the building. Despite everything that was happening, Ash continued to keep his composure and kept a close eye on Misty, Brock, and Giovanni, as they were all his main concern. He kept the gun raised to eye level at Giovanni but also kept a close watch on Rick. Matt, for the most part, looked a little overwhelmed by the whole situation and Ash didn't blame him. Although they had been through so much, Ash still wasn't sure which side Matt was on.  
  
"I never expected this to happen," Giovanni stated, shaking his head in remorse.  
  
"Save it!" spat out Ash angrily.  
  
Giovanni reverted his gaze back to Ash, still keeping his calm and cool composure. He had a glint in his eyes that Ash had never seen. It seemed as if he was planning something, but by the time Ash figured it out, it was too late.  
  
"You've become a fine elite, Ash. I've taught you much, but there's something that you've always had trouble with," sneered Giovanni taking a step forward.  
  
"And what's that?" Ash asked, gun still raised.  
  
"Never put your guard down," he whispered.  
  
Just then, Rick pounced on top of Ash, causing him to drop the gun. It fired, making the whole hall echo as the bullet came to rest in the stone pillar off to the side. Giovanni gingerly picked the gun up and cocked it.  
  
"Get off of me!" Ash yelled as he wrestled with Rick. How stupid could he be? He had let Giovanni distract him and allowed Rick time to sneak up on him.   
  
Rick pushed Ash to his feet. "Stop struggling!" he yelled as he kneed Ash in the stomach. Ash crumpled to the floor, trying to catch his breath.  
  
"Bastards…"he whispered, while gasping for breath.  
  
Giovanni brought the gun to Ash's head threateningly. "I'll deal with you later."  
  
"Please don't…" Misty begged.  
  
Both Giovanni and Ash looked up. Misty had been silent for such a long time that Giovanni had nearly forgotten about her.  
  
"Miss Waterflower, do have something to say? Perhaps your feelings are escaping you," he announced coolly as Misty silently looked at the ground and closed her eyes.  
  
"Please don't…" she whispered once again.  
  
"And why not?! You ruined everything!" Giovanni suddenly yelled as he slapped Misty aside, "I had everything going perfectly. You put my number one elite against me!" he paused, lifted the gun to her head and continued, "I'll see that you never do it again."  
  
"No!" Ash yelled, but it was no use. Rick still had a tight grip on him.  
  
"Drop it," said a voice.  
  
Ash looked up and saw something that brought a small smile to his face, despite their current situation. Matt was standing next to Giovanni, his own gun pointed directly at Giovanni's head.   
  
"I said drop it," Matt repeated, the gun still aimed.  
  
"Why are you doing this Matt?" asked Giovanni coolly, "You had so much going for you. I was going to make you the new elite. You'll be invincible…"  
  
"Forget it," he answered, "Ash was right…you lied to all of us. I would never forgive myself if I went back to Team Rocket," he said as he ripped off his Team Rocket logo from off of his uniform. He then threw it in Giovanni's direction. "Forget the team. I quit."  
  
Suddenly, Rick started to slowly pull something from out of his uniform, but not without Matt noticing.  
  
"Move one more inch and I'll shoot!" yelled Matt.  
  
Rick continued to reach deeper into his pocket until his hand came to rest on something.  
  
"I'm warning you Rick!" said Matt as his grip tightened on the gun, "Don't think I won't do it!"  
  
"Stop!" yelled Giovanni, "Stop…okay…I give up…you win…"  
  
"But sir!" exclaimed Rick.  
  
"Just give it up. Throw down your weapon," he announced.  
  
Rick nodded in utter discontent. "Yes sir…" he said solemnly as he threw his gun down onto the floor and then released Ash.   
  
After being released, Ash immediately ran over to Misty and Brock and started to untie them. Upon being freed, Misty clung to Ash and silently sobbed.  
  
"Its okay…everything's going to be okay. We did it…" whispered Ash as he held onto Misty.  
  
"Think again!" yelled Giovanni.  
  
Just then, everything started to move in slow motion. Everyone looked in Giovanni's direction and witnessed him elbow Matt in the stomach and retrieve his gun as he pointed it at Ash. Rick also dove for his gun and had it cocked and pointed. Knowing what was going to happen, Ash pushed Misty out of the way and pulled the two guns, which he had gotten from his office, from out of his uniform and criss-crossed his arms. With super quick reflexes, he aimed one at Giovanni and the other at Rick. All of a sudden, three gun shots rang through the air. By the time everyone had realized what had happened, Giovanni was on the ground, a bullet hole formed in his chest, and Rick was thrown back, the same shaped hole in his chest.  
  
Ash, however, was crumpled over, applying pressure to his right arm. One of the stray bullets had gotten him, but nonetheless, he was okay. He stood up and looked at the fallen bodies. Then, he walked over to Giovanni's body and kicked it aside.  
  
"Now it's over…" he whispered to the body.  
  
Misty, Brock, and Matt ran over to him and took a good look at the fallen bodies.  
  
"It's finally over," announced Brock.   
  
"You okay, bro," Matt asked as he rushed over to Ash.  
  
"You were behind us all the way?" Ash asked him.  
  
Matt shook his head in response. "I wasn't sure what to think until you started talking about Giovanni lying to us and how there's more to life than this." He looked around the main hall and sighed. "I looked up to him as a father, but all he did was fill our heads with lies. Why didn't I see it sooner?"  
  
"Hey, don't push yourself. You wouldn't have been able to guess that he was lying to you. Remember, you were only seven when he recruited you," soothed Ash, "And besides, I don't think he was all that great and powerful anyway."  
  
Matt smiled and extended his hand out to his friend. Ash accepted it with his uninjured arm and stood up to come face to face with Misty.  
  
"I don't know what to say," she whispered lightly, giving him a small, but delicate smile.  
  
"You don't have to say anything," he soothed, "I'm sorry I put you through all of this."  
  
"You shouldn't be apologizing," stated Brock firmly. Everyone looked in his direction. He had stayed quiet throughout the whole ordeal and no one really knew what he was thinking. "Maybe it's better this way. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you, Ash. You too, Matt. You guys have been through a lot…trust me, I know the feeling," he paused for a while, as if collecting his thoughts, and then continued, "And yet…you both searched yourselves and found the truth behind all of this. I knew Ash would realize it sooner or later. There was something special about you. That much I could tell from the very beginning and I think Misty could sense that too. That's why she tried reaching out to you. And from all that's already happened, I'd say that she succeeded."  
  
Ash looked to Misty as she nodded and smiled in agreement. "Brock always knows the right things to say in these kinds of situations."  
  
Ash nodded in response and looked out the main window. The sky was a crystal blue; bird pokemon were soaring majestically across the horizon as he continued to look on. He took in a deep breath and finally felt rejuvenated. He felt as if a great burden had been taken off of his chest, but most of all…he felt alive again. His life and freedom had been stripped away by Giovanni for such a long time that he had almost forgotten how to live a normal life, a life full of happiness, and a life full of love.  
  
He looked down at Misty and felt the urge to hold her tight. He wanted to apologize, to thank her, to ask her questions about their past, but he found that his words were caught in his throat. Maybe words weren't needed…   
  
Just then, Misty found herself clinging to Ash. In turn, he held her close, secretly vowing to never let any harm befall her. He felt a warmth in her that he had never felt from anyone before. It made him feel wanted and cared for, an attribute that he had long since forgotten.  
  
"Thank you, Ash," she whispered softly.  
  
"I should be the one thanking you. I'm a changed person because of what you did. Thank you for having that patience with me," he responded, continuing to hold her.  
  
"Your welcome."  
  
"Come on Ash. We should get out of here before the cops get here. We'll get your arm fixed up too," stated Matt.  
  
Ash looked at his bleeding arm. He had almost forgotten that it had hurt. He nodded at his friend as they all turned to leave the hall.  
  
"Not…so…fast…"  
  
They all turned around to see Giovanni squirming on the ground. He had a gun out and pointed it at Ash.  
  
"Damn you!" he screamed before a bullet shot echoed throughout the hall.  
  
Matt slowly lowered his gun as Giovanni crumpled to the floor, dead. He then placed the gun back into his uniform and turned to face the group. Everything had happened so fast that no one had time to recover.  
  
"You're not the only one with fast reflexes," he said as he shot a smile towards Ash.  
  
"Is he really dead this time?" asked Misty as she held onto Ash.  
  
"Yeah, I got him good," stated Matt as he examined the body.  
  
It was then that Ash ripped off the Team Rocket logo from off of his uniform and threw it at Giovanni's still form.   
  
"I won't be needing this anymore," he stated, "Let's get out of here."  
  
Everyone nodded in agreement as both Ash and Matt brought out their pokeballs. The first thing that Ash did was let out Pikachu. He had kept it in its pokeball for safety reasons, despite harsh punishment from the electric mouse.  
  
"Hey there buddy," Ash greeted happily.  
  
"Pikachu!" it squealed as it jumped into Ash's open arms.  
  
"Of course I'm okay. What do you say we get out of here?" Ash asked.  
  
"Pika!" it responded with a nod.  
  
"All right then. Come on out Pidgeot!" Ash announced as he threw his pokeball into the air.   
  
Upon being released, Pidgeot flew around the room and stretched its wings before coming to a stop in front of Ash.  
  
"Mind if we hitch a ride?" Ash asked it.  
  
The pokemon shook its head and urged them to get on.  
  
"After you," Ash stated as he helped Misty onto the bird.  
  
"Your Pidgeot's beautiful," Misty exclaimed as she felt its soft feathers between her fingers.  
  
"Thanks," he answered as he hopped on behind her followed by Pikachu, "Oh, before I forget."  
  
He pulled out a string of pokeballs from out of his uniform.  
  
"I believe these belong to you," he said, handing her the pokeballs.  
  
"My pokemon!" she gasped, "Thank you so much Ash!"  
  
"Your welcome. Here are yours Brock," announced Ash as he threw Brocks pokeballs to him.  
  
"Hey thanks," he exclaimed as he reattached his pokeballs to his belt.  
  
"No problem. Hurry up Matt. Call out Scarmory and let's get going," announced Ash.  
  
"Come on out Scarmory," Matt summoned as he threw his pokeball into the air.  
  
Scarmory flew around for while, observing its surroundings and then landed next to Matt.  
  
"Come on Brock," urged Matt.  
  
Brock hopped onto Scarmory's back and held on tight.  
  
"All right, let's go!" announced Matt as Scarmory started to take flight.  
  
"Let's go Pidgeot!" Ash commanded.  
  
Both pokemon lifted off of the ground and headed straight for the main window. Breaking through the window, they took off towards the horizon.  
  
"Where to?" asked Matt.  
  
"Wherever we want," announced Ash.  
  
They were finally free to do what they wanted and when they wanted. No one would tell them what they could and couldn't do anymore. No more living a life of crime and hate. All there was to do was to look forward. The past was behind them and they'd never have to look back there again.  
  
Ash looked over at Misty and smiled at her as she smiled back. There was something in Misty's eyes that he couldn't quite figure out. All of a sudden, she started to move her face closer to his and, on instinct, he did the same. In a flurry of warmth and emotion, they sealed the remaining space between their lips. Ash's heart was pounding a thousand times per minute, but at the same time, he felt calm and collective, almost as if he knew that this is where his heart lied and never again would it ever be astray.   
  
As they released, Misty smiled and looked up at him.  
  
"Have you ever felt loved before?" Ash asked suddenly.  
  
Misty shook her head in response. "Have you?"  
  
"Not until now," he smiled as he, once again, pulled her into another loving kiss.  
  
All the while, Brock and Matt had smiles on their faces, content that their friends had finally found true happiness.  
  
"Go Ash!" yelled Matt.  
  
"Pika!"  
  
The two pokemon flew off into the distance, but where they were going served no importance to either Ash or Misty. They were entangled in their own little world, a place where no one would be able to touch them, and a place where no one would be able to tear them apart.  
  
It was then that their hearts became one and their lives joined together. Ash had finally listened to his heart and, in the process, regained a new outlook on life. Never again would he ever have to go searching for his heart…because she would always be right next to him, comforting and loving him every step of the way.  
  
The End…..  
  
A/N: Wow…I can't believe I finally got that one done. I can't even remember when I first started this thing. Anyway, I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed my story. Your motivation really helped me out! Thanks guys and keep a head's up on my up and coming stories! AAML forever! 


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